Nene Valley Railway Experiences

The Nene Valley Railway (also known as the NVR) is a 7.5 mile-long heritage railway in Cambridgeshire famous for its heavy steam locomotives and collection of European rolling stock. 

The Nene Valley line runs from Peterborough Nene Valley station in the east to its western terminus at Yarwell Junction, passing through Orton Mere (for Nene Park), Overton (for Ferry Meadows Country Park), Wansford (the operational headquarters). The line follows the River Nene and the Yarwell Junction stop is only accessible by train or on foot - there is no vehicular access.

Wansford Station is the main visitor hub and headquarters for the Nene Valley Railway. This is where you'll find the main loco sheds, engineering workshops, ticket office, gift shop, miniature railway and staton cafe.

The cross-country railway line originally opened in 1845 as part of the Northampton and Peterborough branch line of the London & Birmingham Railway. Passenger services ceased in 1966, with freight services running until 1972. By 1974, the Peterborough Railway Society had taken over and created the preserved heritage railway.

Nene Valley is famous the world over for its eclectic collection of heavy. large-scale rolling stock, with diesel and steam locos from all over Europe. A visit to the NVR means you'll see trains you won't see at any other heritage railways in the UK!

Yes! Thanks to its unique collection of vintage stock from all over Europe, Nene Valley has attracted lots of TV and film productions as a filming location. You'll spot Nene Valley in everything from James Bond's Octopussy and GoldenEye , to TV dramas like Secret Army , Casualty , Eastenders and even Queen's 'Breakthru' music video!

Yes! The railway line follows the course of the River Nene in the valley of the same name. You're surrounded by lakes, water meadows and rural wetlands here, with country parks and places like the Railroad Wildlife Haven, which is directly adjacent to the Peterborough Nene Valley station. There are lots of walking itineraries and indicated footpaths around the railway to explore.

Of course! Our experiences with rover tickets included give you all-day access to the trains. That means you can hop and off at the various stops and stations along the line to explore on foot, pop into a local inn or spend time looking around Wansford main station.

Wansford is the main hub of the Nene Valley Railway, so make sure you take time to explore. See inside the locomotive sheds where the restoration work is done, visit the shop, check out the 1907 signal box, visit the Royal waiting room which was actually used by Royals visiting nearby Barnwell Manor and browse the second-hand bookshop.

The most westerly point on the line, Yarwell Junction is the terminus for Nene Valley trains and it's unique in that there is no vehicular access. There are footpaths to the historic mill villages of Yarwell and Nassington, but it has a wonderful peaceful and remote feel.

Yes. Most of the stations on the Nene Valley line have ramp access to the platforms and there are carriages that have been adapted to carry wheelchair users. Wansford Station features fully accessible toilet facilities too.

If you are not coming by foot or public transport, Wansford Station is the best place to park. The car park is free, with overflow parking and on-street parking too. There are blue badge parking spots here. At Overton and Orton Mere stations within Nene Park parking is pay-and-display.

Yes! The Peterborough Nene Valley station is very close to the town centre and about a 10-minute walk from Peterborough mainline station with LNER, Thameslink, CrossCountry and Greater Anglia passenger services. It's about 50 minutes from London St Pancras by train. Make sure you check NVR services running on that day!